Keith Andrews had drawn Sam Allardyce's side level from the penalty spot after the Liverpool captain gave the hosts an ill-deserved lead, only for Torres, starting his first game since Jan 13, to strike almost immediately and Liverpool to hang on to three precious points.
Allardyce had been in bullish mood on the eve of this game, comparing Benitez's Liverpool to his own Bolton sides, and his team started in a similar vein. Blackburn may not be attractive - and, indeed, as the game went on, they dallied with the brutal - but they are well-drilled, full of purpose and effective.
Liverpool, perhaps suffering from their arduous journey back from Bucharest in the small hours of Friday morning, struggled to cope with the bombardment for the opening 20 minutes. Christopher Samba headed straight at Pepe Reina after just two minutes, Martin Olsson sent an ambitious 35-yard effort just over a moment later.
So bright was their guests' opening that Liverpool seemed unnerved. Lucas dawdled in possession, Morten Gamst Pedersen dispossessed him and set Nikola Kalinic through on Reina. The Croatian, a bustling, troublesome presence all day, could only curl his effort wide.
Liverpool stirred. With almost their first attack of note, Benitez's side took the lead, Gerrard exchanging passes with Dirk Kuyt and setting Yossi Benayoun free. The Israeli's return ball ricocheted off his captain's shins, fortuitously taking him beyond Samba and creating the space for a clever chip over the onrushing Paul Robinson.
Blackburn had every right to feel aggrieved, though they showed no sign of bowing to fate. Pedersen twice tested Reina's reactions immediately after falling behind, Liverpool's attempts to quell their opponents destined to fail.
Benitez's side could have no complaints when Blackburn drew level, Jamie Carragher handling as he lay prostrate on the ground as his team-mates singularly failed to deal with a fairly simple Pedersen through ball. Andrews, just, squeezed the spot-kick under Reina.
Again, when threatened, Liverpool clicked. Lucas's through ball slipped Torres through, the Spanish striker denied by a fine sliding tackle from Samba as he bore down on goal. Maxi Rodriguez, his fellow adventurer from Atletico Madrid, picked up the loose ball and squared for Torres's 13th of the season.
Given Blackburn's travails away from home and Liverpool's chronic inconsistency, it was startlingly entertaining fare. That all changed, though, when El-Hadji Diouf, that noted diplomat, and Gerrard engaged in a pre-interval contretemps. Suddenly, the afternoon turned fractious, the play fragmented.
Five Blackburn players were booked as Allardyce's side stopped trying to match their more illustrious hosts and resorted to attempting to bully them.
They were fortunate, in fact, to end the game with a full complement of players, both Steven Nzonzi and Pascal Chimbonda lucky to remain on the pitch after lashing out in the most petulant fashion.
Such disharmony robbed the game of any rhythm, Liverpool struggling to carve out chances beyond a wasted Daniel Agger header and a cross-cum-shot from Rodriguez which Robinson did well to save. Then the nerves set in. Benitez's side clung on for the last 20 minutes, as their guests pushed more and more central defenders forward. Junior Hoilett went close, Vince Grella fired just wide but the best chance of all fell to Samba, whose goal bound header was pushed away by Reina at full-stretch.
Source: Telegraph
Source: Telegraph